Martian surface mineralogy and geochemistry as indicators of past environmental, geochemical, and aqueous conditions

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dc.contributor.advisorLapen, Thomas J.
dc.contributor.committeeMemberChafetz, Henry S.
dc.contributor.committeeMemberBeverly, Emily J.
dc.contributor.committeeMemberRampe, Elizabeth
dc.creatorClark, Joanna V.
dc.creator.orcid0000-0003-2556-8586
dc.date.accessioned2023-01-15T02:06:57Z
dc.date.createdMay 2022
dc.date.issued2022-04-26
dc.date.updated2023-01-15T02:06:58Z
dc.description.abstractThe geochemistry of the martian surface is being studied in-situ using the Curiosity rover, and the Perseverance rover is currently caching martian surface samples with the goal of returning them to Earth for laboratory analyses. The goal of this dissertation was to (1) Understand martian surface mineralogy and geochemistry using in-situ evolved gas data from the Sample Analysis at Mars (SAM) instrument on the Curiosity rover, and (2) Prepare for analyses of future martian returned samples by studying the morphology and isotopic composition of silica precipitated in the laboratory from Mars-relevant low-temperature brine solutions. In chapters 2 and 3, perchlorates, chlorides, and mixtures of these salts in Mars-analog phases were analyzed for their oxygen and hydrogen chloride (HCl) gas releases on a SAM-analog laboratory instrument in order to constrain which Cl-bearing salts are present in Gale crater. Results demonstrated that SAM HCl evolutions may be caused by chlorides (original or from oxychlorine decomposition) reacting with water-evolving phases or hydrated sulfates. Chapters 4 and 5 investigate the morphology and oxygen isotopic composition of low-temperature silica. Amorphous silica is abundant on the martian surface and surface temperatures are below 0 °C, therefore it is essential to prepare to analyze these types of martian samples for when they are returned to Earth. Cryogenic opal-A (COA), which forms in fluid veins in ice, was synthesized in the laboratory using different solution chemistries and freezing temperatures. Results demonstrated that the morphology of COA depended on the freezing temperature and solution chemistry. Martian returned samples containing COA could elucidate past climate and the chemical composition of precursor fluids. Silica will be precipitated from <0 °C brine solutions and the products will be analyzed for their triple-oxygen isotopic composition. This study was delayed due to lab closures during the Covid-19 pandemic. The purpose of this study is to determine if current paleotemperature equations apply to silica samples that form under martian conditions (i.e., <0 °C). These projects further our understanding of past martian geochemical and environmental conditions using data collected in-situ by the Curiosity rover and prepare future investigators for analyses of returned samples.
dc.description.departmentEarth and Atmospheric Sciences, Department of
dc.format.digitalOriginborn digital
dc.format.mimetypeapplication/pdf
dc.identifier.citationPortions of this document appear in: Clark, J.V., Sutter, B., McAdam, A.C., Rampe, E.B., Archer, P.D., Ming, D.W., Navarro-Gonzalez, R., Mahaffy, P., Lapen, T.J. (2020). High-temperature HCl evolutions from mixtures of perchlorates and chlorides with water-bearing phases: Implications for the Sample Analysis at Mars (SAM) instrument in Gale crater, Mars. Journal of Geophysical Research: Planets, 125, doi: 10.1029/2019JE006173; and in: Clark, J.V., Lapen, T.J., Chafetz, H., Elsenousy, A. (2019). The effect of solution chemistries and freezing temperatures on the morphology of cryogenic opal-A (COA): implications for past climates on Mars. Chemical Geology, doi: 10.1016/j.chemgeo.2019.04.017.
dc.identifier.urihttps://hdl.handle.net/10657/13341
dc.language.isoeng
dc.rightsThe author of this work is the copyright owner. UH Libraries and the Texas Digital Library have their permission to store and provide access to this work. UH Libraries has secured permission to reproduce any and all previously published materials contained in the work. Further transmission, reproduction, or presentation of this work is prohibited except with permission of the author(s).
dc.subjectMars
dc.subjectCuriosity Rover
dc.titleMartian surface mineralogy and geochemistry as indicators of past environmental, geochemical, and aqueous conditions
dc.type.dcmiText
dc.type.genreThesis
dcterms.accessRightsThe full text of this item is not available at this time because the student has placed this item under an embargo for a period of time. The Libraries are not authorized to provide a copy of this work during the embargo period.
local.embargo.lift2024-05-01
local.embargo.terms2024-05-01
thesis.degree.collegeCollege of Natural Sciences and Mathematics
thesis.degree.departmentEarth and Atmospheric Sciences, Department of
thesis.degree.disciplineGeology
thesis.degree.grantorUniversity of Houston
thesis.degree.levelDoctoral
thesis.degree.nameDoctor of Philosophy

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